Tata also is one of Asia’s largest coffee producers and supplies all coffee for Starbucks espresso drinks in India. John Culver, head of Starbucks in Asia, has said the company expects to sell Indian coffee in other markets as well.

Indian coffee is not commonly drunk in the United States, partly because of the distance and partly because of taste.

Until the mid-’90s, the Indian government pooled the country’s coffee and paid farmers roughly the same price no matter the quality. When that system ended, many coffee farmers responded by improving the flavor of their coffee, which has brought higher profits.